Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To determine the short-term effect of kinesio tape on
the explosive gluteus maximus power of male athletes, comparing
a recommended application pattern with a placebo.
METHODS: Sixty healthy university male athletes participated in
this double-blinded randomised controlled trial. Those athletes
with musculoskeletal injury 6 weeks prior to screening, serious
medical condition(s) in the previous 6 months, or metabolic
conditions affecting joint integrity were not selected. A different
investigator from the one who administered the intervention
randomly allocated participants to groups. Allocation was
concealed. Group A (n=30) received a recommended Y-strip
kinesio tape application and group B (n=30) a neutral placebo
application. Height displacement during a counter-movement
jump was measured with a reliable Vertec apparatus. Measurements
were recorded at baseline, immediately after strapping and 30
minutes later. Participants and raters were blinded to group
assignment. Descriptive statistics and analysis of variance for
repeated measures were used to determine the effect of time and
group on the measurements. Post hoc analysis was done using the
Tukey’s method.
RESULTS: Time (before, immediately after and 30 minutes after
taping) had a significant effect on the measurements. All the
measurements after intervention (either immediately or 30
minutes after) had significant differences compared with baseline
(95% CI [0.59, 2.29] and [1.50, 3.2] respectively.)
CONCLUSION: The recommended application type of taping
with kinesio tape was equally effective in significantly improving
the explosive power of the gluteus maximus in male athletes
immediately after and 30 minutes after taping in both groups.